Sun Dried Apricots — Unsulfured Turkish Gun Kurusu, Jumbo Size

These are gun kurusu apricots — the traditional Turkish style of sun-dried apricot. Whole ripe fruit is left to dry naturally, with no sulfur dioxide treatment. That is why they are dark reddish-brown instead of bright orange: the fruit's own sugars caramelize as it dries in the sun. The bright-orange apricots sold in most supermarkets get their color from SO2 preservative; these get theirs from nothing but time and sunlight.

The difference shows up in the flavor. Sulfur treatment locks in a sharper, fresher tartness; sun-drying without it produces a deeper, honeyed, almost caramel sweetness with a softer chew. If you have only ever eaten orange dried apricots, the first dark one tastes like a different fruit.

Tugba Kuruyemis, a Turkish dried-fruit and nut house based in Aydin, selects the jumbo size grade for this product — noticeably larger pieces than standard dried apricots, pitted and ready to eat.

• Dark color from natural sugar caramelization, not additives
• Jumbo size grade — large, meaty pieces
• Pitted whole apricots, soft texture
• A 28 g handful provides about 330 mg potassium and 2 g fiber (USDA data for dried apricots)
• Packed by Tugba Kuruyemis in Turkey; store cool and dry (4–20°C)

Eat them straight as a snack, chop them into oatmeal, yogurt, or rice pilaf, simmer them into tagines and stews, or pair them with walnuts and Turkish coffee the way they are served in Turkey. Available in 100 g, 250 g, and 500 g packs.